1st Quarter 2010 - Science and Technology Information Institute

Transcription

issn01126-7766
A publication of the Department of Science and Technology
SCIENCE
and
TECHNOLOGY
VOL. XXVIII
FIRST QUARTER 2010
Who is
responsible
in managing our
bioresources?
A SPECIAL BIODIVERSITY ISSUE
www.stii.dost.gov.ph
EDITORIAL
SCIENCE
and
TECHNOLOGY
The S&T Post Editorial
Board continues its
commitment of bringing
editorial board
science and technology
news and information to
the public, hand-in-hand
with the DOST MediaCore.
From left: Joy M. Lazcano,
James B. Intia, Framelia
V. Anonas, Ms. Ma. Isabel
Carag-Dario, Aristotle P.
Carandang, Maria Judith
L. Sablan, and Valiant P.
Rosales.
Biodiversity talks
O
ne setback in fixing our eyes on progress and development is that we forget to take
time and smell the flowers. Until the flowers, as well as the bees, are gone.
The United Nations declared the year 2010 as “International Year of Biodiversity” to raise
awareness of the importance of conserving biodiversity for human well-being. It also aims
to promote understanding of the economic value of biodiversity, according to the IYB
website.
The S&T Post took this as an opportune time to revisit what we have in our biodiversity-
MS. MA. ISABEL CARAG-DARIO
Publication Director
ARISTOTLE P. CARANDANG
Executive Editor
FRAMELIA V. ANONAS
Editor-in-Chief
JAMES B. INTIA
Layout & Graphics
DOST MEDIA CORE
Contributing Writers
JOY M. LAZCANO
Editorial Assistant
AUDIO-VISUAL UNIT
Photography
MARIA JUDITH L. SABLAN
Proofreader
VALIANT P. ROSALES
Circulation
rich country and what we may lose if we don’t give attention. In this issue, we feature some
interesting endemic species and initiatives that monitor and protect our biodiversity. We
also have a special report on the latest findings on genetic diversity in Asia which gives us
a better sense on who we are as a people.
This issue’s guest science journalist, Mr. Paul Icamina of Malaya, takes us several thousand
feet above sea level to face the issues that confront our Ifugao brothers, the keepers of
biodiversity in the world-renowned Banawe Rice Terraces. Meanwhile, a commentary from
Dr. William Dar gives us a better understanding on the El Niño phenomenon expected to
hit the country hard this year. This period of dryness will of course have an impact to our
biodiversity.
This issue also introduces a new section, “4 Teens,” which will cater to high school
students. In future issues, we will hear more from our teens as we open this section to their
contributions. We at the S&T Post believe that by encouraging our students to participate,
we can help raise genuine interest in science and technology among the youth. They are
our future scientists, researchers, and science communicators; thus, it is never too early
to get them involved.
As we help in making people appreciate and conserve our country’s rich biodiversity, let us
continue thinking of ways to live in harmony with nature. Let us not forget that biodiversity
is vital to our survival. Biodiversity is life, and we must make sure that this life goes on to
our children and their children’s children.
The S&T Post is published
quarterly by the Science and
Technology Information InstituteDepartment of Science and
Technology (STII-DOST) with
editorial office at DOST Compound,
Gen. Santos Avenue, Bicutan,
Taguig City.
Telefax: (02) 837-7520
Tel No.: (02) 837-2071 to 80
local 2148
Email: [email protected];
[email protected]
JAN • FEB • MAR
First Quarter
what’s
inside?
2010
Cover photo: Biodiversity in the city
is possible at the La Mesa Ecopark in
Quezon City, currently one of the most
popular places nowadays in Metro Manila
for people who want to take a break from
the heat of the concrete jungle.
(Photo by Gerry De Jesus)
18
4
what’s new?
3
Government researchers extract yellow,
black, gray textile dyes from talisay leaves
PTRI makes tropical fiber processing cheaper, easier
4
PCIERD awards winners in the 8th Regional
S&T Fora and Competitions
5
DOST 9 customer rating improves through
effective use of ICT
6
Filipino company develops bricks from rice hull
ash, alluvial silt
6
09
S&T POST 1st Qtr 2010
1
what’s
inside?
what’s cool?
10
7
NAST names Dr. Fabian Dayrit Academician
8
PGMA confers national scientist rank and title to
Domingo, Concepcion
11
CERN to mentor RP physicists
features
12
22
12
2010: International Year of Biodiversity
14
Getting to know some endangered plants
in the Philippines
16
Ifugao: Guardians of biodiversity
18
Green becomes her
Why women should be at the forefront in biodiversity conservation
20
Who is responsible in managing our bioresources?
21
Who’s your daddy?
22
Coral Triangle Initiatives
Study traces genetic origin of Asian people
To safeguard marine and coastal biological resources
4 teens
23
Trivia for Teens
24
Biodiversity trends at Mt. Isarog
commentary
24
25
We need a strategy for El Niño
set-up
26
DOST support makes local crops work for
Abra folks
nutrition
26
2
28
FNRI survey says more Filipinos at risk to
lifestyle-related diseases
what’s
new?
Government researchers extract yellow, black, gray textile dyes from talisay leaves
By Arlene OBMERGA
S&T Media Service, PTRI
The leaves of talisay (Terminalia catappa)
are a natural source of yellow, black, and
gray dyes for textiles. “A tropical tree that
grows 25–40 meters high, talisay or tropical
almond not only provides shade but its tannin-rich leaves also produce essential dyes
when extracted and processed,” Philippine
Textile Research Institute Director Carlos C.
Tomboc explained.
PTRI researchers developed a technology in producing talisay dye powder by boiling the chopped, steeped leaves. The liquid
extract is filtered and fed to a spray dryer.
The resulting powder is collected and stored
in clean, dry, and air-tight amber bottles at
ambient temperature to maintain the physical properties of the natural dye powder and
extend its shelf-life, explains Julius Leaño
Jr., a PTRI senior science research specialist.
The talisay dye powder is yellowish,
stable in air and light, and easily soluble in
water creating a rich yellow dye bath. Gray
or black shade forms when ferrous sulfate is
added during dye application on textile or
other materials.
Materials dyed with talisay went
through tests of colorfastness and washing.
Depending on the type of materials dyed,
dyed material washed for an hour showed no
change in color and no staining.
Talisay thrives on beaches and sandy
coasts. The leaves, green fruits, and sometimes the roots are used locally for tanning
leather. The wood is used for building houses and boats while the seeds contain oil and
are edible.
Other plant-based dye powders that
PTRI researches developed include indigo
(Indigofera tinctoria) for blue pigment;
bakawan lalake (Rhizophora apiculata),
bakawan babae (Rhizophora mucronata),
pagatpat (Sonneratia alba), antsoan dilaw
(Senna spectabilis), gmelina (Gmelina arborea), kamachile (Pithecellobium dulce),
and duhat (Syzygium cumini) for brown;
mangium (Acacia mangium) for beige; kariskis (Albizia lebbekoides) and mahogany
(Swietenia macrophylla) for reddish brown;
sampalok (Tamarindus indica) for red.
Ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) for
khaki, light maroon, brown, old rose, and
purple; narra (Pterocarpus indicus) and kapok (Ceiba pentandra) for light pink to pinkish brown; langka (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
for yellow; balete (Ficus balete) for reddish
maroon, khaki, light violet, and brown;
agoho (Casuarina equisetifolia) for brownish maroon; binunga (Macaranga tanarius)
for brown and grayish black; madre de cacao (Gliricidia sepium) for light pink, pinkish brown, and light brown; tubang bakod
(Jatropha curcas) for brown, pink, beige,
and brownish orange; and katuray (Sesbania
grandiflora) for brown and light pink.
Currently, only indigo dye powder is
commercially available at Aklan State University in Banga, Aklan and in R’Teh Handicrafts in Baler, Aurora.
Small volume of dye powder from mahogany, sampalok, talisay, and indigo can
be obtained from PTRI at nominal cost. It
transfers natural dye extraction and application technologies to interested parties
through trainings.
PTRI makes tropical fiber processing cheaper, easier
By Arlene R. Obmerga
S&T Media Service, PTRI
The Philippine Textile Research Institute,
an attached agency of the Department of
Science and Technology offers a portfolio of
tropical fiber technologies that can enhance
quality and trim production cost by up to
35 percent in the pre-treatment of abaca,
banana, and pineapple fibers.
PTRI Director Carlos C. Tomboc that improved fiber degumming technology, which
saves producers 20–35 percent in cost, will
make plant derived fibers competitive and
acceptable to the end-users. Fibers undergo
degumming to reduce the plants’ glue-like
or gum content and make them clean and
spinnable.
Marites de Leon, a PTRI senior science
research specialist, explained that reducing chemical inputs in the pre-treatment of
pineapple fibers also cuts cost by about 25
percent.
Banana fibers, degummed immediately after
“woolenization,”
showed
residual gum content of 10
percent. This is comparable
to the established 10.53
percent, 35 percent cutback
in processing cost, and 14
percent shorter treatment
cycle.
Residual gum content affects the fibers’ fine quality, de Leon said. The fibers go
through a series of chemical and mechanical
treatment to achieve the crimp property of
wool for better processing.
Meanwhile, the modified processing
technology for abaca fibers is more effective
in reducing gum content than the standard
process, de Leon added. Processed fibers
have residual gum content of 6.81 percent,
21 percent reduction in pretreatment cost,
and 12 percent shorter treatment cycle.
Dr. Tomboc said PTRI is focused to enhance its technology transfer program and
technical services, promotion of the use of
indigenous resources, and development of
technical competence in textile production
and quality assurance.
3
what’s
new?
PCIERD awards S&T fora and competitions winners
By MA. JUDITH L. SABLAN
S&T Media Service, STII
PCIERD awarded the winners of the 8th Regional S&T Fora and Competitions and 4th
Industry and Energy R&D Consortia Competitions during its 28th Anniversary, March 17,
2010 at the Hyatt Hotel, Manila.
Dr. Leilanie O. Suerte from the Mines
and Geosciences Bureau bagged the first
prize for the Regional S&T Fora Competitions for her study entitled “Magmatism
and Hydrothermal System at the Kingking
Porphyry Copper Deposit: An Insight into
the Mineralization of the Copper-Gold Belt
in Southeastern Mindanao.” Ms. Prima Fe R.
Franco from Mariano Marcos State University
won second prize for her study “First and
Second Generation Bioethanol Production
from Sweet Sorghum Using Locally Isolated
Microorganisms,” and third prize was won
by Dr. Marina A. Alipon from Forest Products
4
Research and Development Institute for her
entry “Development and Commercialization
of Locally Designed Digital Wood Moisture
Meter.” Winners received cash prizes of
P300,000 (first prize), P250,000 (second
prize), and P200,000 (third prize).
Consortia competition winners are:
the Ilocos Consortium for Industry and
Energy Research and Development (ICIERD), first prize; Cordillera Industry and
Energy Research and Development Consortium (CIERDEC), second prize; and Eastern
Visayas Consortium for Industry and Energy
Research and Development (EVCIERD), third
prize. PCIERD R&D Consortia are regional
networks of institutions that conduct and
implement R&D programs under PCIERD.
Winners received cash prizes of P200,000
(first prize), P150,000 (second prize), and
P100,000 (third prize).
The S&T fora and competition is a biennial award established by PCIERD to give
due recognition to outstanding researches
in industry and energy, and to researchers
and scientists who contributed to the country’s economic growth. It is awarded every
two years to ensure that projects are completed within the period.
PCEIRD is one of the five sectoral
planning councils of the Department of
Science and Technology created through
Executive Order 128 on March 17, 1982. It is
mandated to formulate strategies, policies,
programs and projects for S&T development
and provide funds for R&D, particularly
those with application in industry, energy,
utilities, and infrastructure sectors.
what’s
new?
DOST 9 customer rating
improves through effective
use of ICT
By Thelma Emata-Diego
S&T Media Service, DOST-9
The Department of Science and Technology Regional Office No. 9 (DOST-9) gained
a 99.85 percent rating from its customers
for the year 2009, surpassing its target of
95 percent very satisfactory customer rating. Customer approval improved largely due
to the regional office’s efficient service enhanced by the use of information and communication technologies.
As one of the premier ICT advocates in
Zamboanga Peninsula region, DOST-9 faced
the challenge of continuous improvement of
service levels to meet increasing business
demands while holding the line on costs.
One of its strategies is the development and
maintenance of information systems and databases to efficiently carry out key business
processes.
The DOST-9 has successfully implemented the following information systems
developed in-house:
Document Tracking System (DTS) – an
online information system that gives every
personnel an access to incoming and outgoing documents, such as letters, memos, and
others. The system can quickly track any
communication received or sent. Employees in charge of the DTS update the system
on any action done or remarks on specific
documents received. The DTS is very helpful especially when the regional director or
officer-in-charge are on official travel. Using DTS, the office can easily monitor the
statuses of requests or inquiries and check if
these are properly handled and acted on.
Procurement Database System (PDS) –
a comprehensive purchasing system accessible thru the local network of DOST-9 (Intranet). The system involves all processes
on procurement starting from the preparation of purchase requests, bid quotations,
abstract of bids, purchase orders, inspection
and acceptance reports, obligation requests,
and disbursement vouchers. The system
provides quick search, reports generation,
and historical trend in the purchasing section. With the volume of documentary requirements in the government procurement
system, the DOST-9 PDS is very helpful in
streamlining the procurement processes.
Scholarship Information and Database
System (SIDS) – the system provides updated information and status of on-going and
previous scholars under the DOST-SEI undergraduate scholarship program. Thru the system, financial benefits (monthly stipends,
tuitions, etc) granted to each scholar can be
easily monitored.
Project Information Sheet Management
System (PISMS) – the system manages the
general information, project details, and project status of new and existing project beneficiaries under the DOST’s Small Enterprises
Technology Upgrading Program (SET-UP) and
Grants-In-Aid (GIA). The system is capable
of tracking the status of repayment of each
SET-UP beneficiary on a specific period.
DOST- 9 File-Server – this serves as
the repository of DOST-9 files. The server
is accessible thru the DOST-9 Intranet and
configured to provide online security access
to DOST-9 employees or legitimate users regardless of access locations (inside or outside of office) at a 24/7 basis. The system
may seem very simple but it is very beneficial and advantageous to DOST-9 employees
especially in meeting deadlines on submission of reports.
These information systems manage
the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities of
the DOST – 9 management and staff. The
ICT environment increases the productivity,
reliability, accuracy, and competitiveness of
the office in providing quality services to its
customers. Also, it introduces the employees to the new IT trends and technologies,
making DOST-9 employees at par with, or
even ahead of, their counterparts specifically on the use and advancement of ICT in
the public sector. The DOST-9 believes that
the ICT initiatives has helped the office in
attaining its ISO targets on functional objectives, including customer satisfaction.
5
http://www.sidlakpinoy.com/
what’s
new?
Filipino company develops bricks from
rice hull ash, alluvial silt
By Joy M. Lazcano
A deluge of earth in the riverbanks after a
strong downpour may seem an unpleasant
sight for most, but not for Mr. Emmanuel
Alkuino who spent over three decades perfecting bricks made out of rice hull ash and
alluvial silts.
“During rains, large deposits of silts
fill the riverbanks. We at SIDLAKPINOY try
to find a way to make this useful,” says Mr.
Alkuino. “Sidlakpinoy” is a wordplay in the
Visayan language which means “shine forth,
Filipino.”
After spending a long time doing researches, Alkuino came up with an innovation and reinvented bricks out of silts and
rice hull ash deposits. He called his bricks
“SIDLAKAN Reinforced Fire Bricks.”
Alluvial silts are soil or granulized
rocks deposited at the bottom of the river or
any body of water. This debris is often ubiquitous in riverbanks after a strong downpour. Rice hulls are used to fuel the kiln for
baking the bricks. Consequently, hulls are
reduced to ashes during the process which,
in turn, make a good raw material for the
6
bricks when combined with the silts. Silt
and rice hull ash contain sulfur, a component that makes cement durable.
The SIDLAKAN Reinforced Fire Bricks
was one of the technologies introduced
during the Investment Forum hosted by
the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD) of
the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST) under the program Technology Innovation for Commercial (TECHNICOM).
TECHNICOM is a DOST initiative aimed
at providing funds to fast track the transfer
and commercialization of research results
especially those generated by member institutes of the National Research and Development Network (NRDN). Meanwhile,
the Investment Forum showcased available
technologies on food products/processes,
construction, equipment, and process technologies, all ready for adoption by interested private firms.
According to Alkuino, president of
the SIDLAKPINOY, Inc. which manufactures
the SIDLAKAN bricks and other high per-
formance farming equipment, the company
manufactures 5-15,000 bricks per day. These
bricks are five times stronger than the usual
hollow blocks and users could save 50 percent on construction expenses.
Moreover, the technology has undergone a battery of tests against heat, wind,
and excessive rains. Stress tests on these
bricks show that they are stable even under
extreme weather conditions. Houses that
use the bricks are also cooler and more stylish compared with houses that use regular
construction materials.
The Sidlakan brick, a recipient of DOST
technology support in 1998, can also be
customized depending on the clients’ preference.
According to Alkuino, the company has
manufactured bricks in all sizes for homes
in Mindanao, including the Gawad-Kalinga
project in Natidasan, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. Alkuino dreams that in the near future,
many low-cost but quality homes outside
Bukidnon will be built using the sidlakan
bricks from the lowly alluvial silts.
what’s
cool?
NAST names Dr. Fabian Dayrit Academician
By Joy M. Lazcano
Among his most popular initiatives include
“Project Blue Skies”, started out as a thesis
and later evolved into Ateneo de Manila’s
all-out war against smoke pollution. The
project-turned-campaign required vehicle
emission testings in applying for vehicle
stickers in entering the lush Ateneo de Manila University premises. This initiative was
adopted later by the Land Transportation
Office as a prerequisite for vehicle registrations.
This measure proves Dr. Fabian Dayrit’s
innovativeness in responding to the needs
of the Filipinos today through scientific researches.
Dr. Dayrit is conferred in 2009 with
the rank and title of Academician by the
National Academy of Science and Technology, an advisory council of the Department
of Science and Technology.
Among his important contributions to
S&T were his published scientific papers on
Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO).
Contrary to the product’s popularity in
the market, little is written in the scientific
journals in the world about VCO’s scientific
properties. Thus, his published works documented basic scientific data on VCO which
gave him due recognition from the international S&T community.
He also developed an analytical methodology for detecting 3-monocholopropane
diol or 3-MCPD, a compound found in soy
sauce which is exported in Europe and the
US. The compound, found to be carcinogenic, is banned in said regions. Previously,
analysis of 3-MCPD was solely undertaken in
the laboratories in England. This prompted
Dr. Dayrit and his group to develop a local
but internationally accepted methodology
in analyzing the products. The research had
encouraging results and was later published
in a European journal on food safety and
analysis.
Meanwhile, Dr. Dayrit’s involvement in
natural products especially on Vitex negundo
(lagundi) became the scientific basis for its
analysis and use. A local pharmaceutical
company adopted Dr. Dayrit’s scientific findings in the production of its line of lagundi
herbal medicine products.
He has also explored the use of nuclear
magnetic resonance for chemical and structural analysis of polysaccharides, especially
of carrageenan from Philippine seaweed. Dr. Dayrit was a BS Chemistry cum
laude at the Ateneo de Manila University
and received his MA and PhD degrees in
Chemistry from Princeton University.
Currently, Dayrit is dean of the Ateneo’s School of Science and Engineering.
His pursuit of researches in the area
of herbal medicine led to his conferment
as Presidential Lingkod Bayan awardee for
Government Service in 1988. He was later
awarded Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM)
in the field of Chemistry in 1995. He also
received the Achievement Award in Chemistry Education and the National Academy
of Science and Technology Award for Best
Paper in 1995.
Last year, he was awarded "Tanging
Parangal sa Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan" from the City of Manila. The award
is Manila’s version of the National Artist
awards. It honors Filipinos striving for excellence in their fields and who continually
promote our national cultural identity in
their work.
Dr. Dayrit is currently the chairman of
the Technical Panel for the Nanotechnology
Program in the country which launched its
roadmap on priority areas for development
this year. The program aims at exploring the
many possibilities of development in nanotech which ranges from super small electronic gadgets to hybrid medicines and pest
proof agricultural products.
NAST is mandated by the Philippine government to recognize outstanding
achievements in science and technology and
to serve as a reservoir of competent scientific and technological manpower for the
country. It is also the advisory body to the
President of the Republic of the Philippines
and the Cabinet on policies concerning science and technology in the country.
7
what’s
cool?
PGMA confers national scientist rank
and title to Domingo, Concepcion
By Joy M. Lazcano
Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo conferred
the National Scientist rank and title to Dr.
Ernesto O. Domingo and Dr. Mercedes B.
Concepcion February 15, 2009 at the Rizal
Hall in Malacañang Palace.
Recognized as two of the pillars of
Philippine science community, Domingo and
Concepcion received the highest recognition
given to Filipino individuals for their contributions in furthering science and technology in the Philippines. Moreover, the title
National Scientist is bestowed to Filipinos
considered as national treasures in the field
of science.
Dr. Ernesto O. Domingo was recognized
for his contribution as a scientist, researcher, educator, administrator and a professional in the field of Gastroenterology and
Internal Medicine. Among his most important contributions were the studies made on
the parasite Schistosome granuloma and its
effect on the human liver. His suggestions
and recommendations led to the development of a vaccine to counter the parasite.
He also led the establishment of the first
Schistomiasis Research Laboratory in the
University of the Philippines, following the
Schistomiasis Laboratory in Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
Domingo steered the establishment of
the Liver Study Group, which pursued comprehensive studies and the development of
the cure for Hepatitis-B. He also made a
significant contribution in formalizing the
National Circuit Course program which encourages the continuous learning in the
field of medicine and the establishment of
Institute of Socio-Biomedical research, now
known as the National Institutes for Health
in UP.
Dr. Mercedes B. Concepcion, meanwhile, was recognized for her expertise in
the field of demographics and population.
MERCEDES B. CONCEPCION, PhD
Internationally recognized demography expert is new National Scientist
D
r. Mercedes B. Concepcion, an internationally recognized expert in demography and an Academician, was
declared National Scientist through President Gloria Arroyo’s Proclamation No. 1980
issued on January 14, 2010. Dr. Concepcion
was conferred the rank and title of National
Scientist for her outstanding contributions
in the field of demography. This is the highest honor that the Philippine government
can bestow on a Filipino scientist for his/
her outstanding contributions to science and technology. Her outstanding
accomplishments covered
the study of population
composition and trends
and their implications
for social and economic
development, the growth
of urbanization, the situation of the elderly, and
employment. Said studies resulted in the
formulation of population policies here and
abroad.
The woman who was honored as the first Filipino demographer by the Philippine American Foundation in 2002 has racked up many
“firsts” in her distinguished career. She
was the first Filipino staff member of the
United Nations Statistical Training Centre
set up at the University of the Philippines
(UP) in 1955, the first director of the newly
established Population Institute at the UP
in 1965, the first and sole Philippine Representative to the United Nations Population
Commission in 1967, the
first woman to chair this
UN Population Commission from 1969 to 1977,
and the first Asian woman to be elected President of the International
Union for the Scientific
Study of Population in
1981-1985. The subject of
demography is
often associated
with the name of
Dr. Concepcion
Demography and population
The subject of demography is often associated with the name of Dr. Concepcion. 8
The Vatican recognized Dr. Concepion’s expertise when it invited her to be one
of two Asian members of the special committee for studies on problems of population and birth control (popularly known as
the Birth Control Commission) in November
1964 which led to the promulgation of the
famous encyclical Humanae Vitae in 1968.
She was also selected by the United Nations
Economic Commission for Asia and the Far
East (now the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) to be a member and later chairperson of the Preparatory
Committees for the Asian Population Conferences of 1963, 1972, 1984, and 1994. to page 10
what’s
cool
to the creation of the National Statistical
Coordination Board. Her leadership played
a vital role in the United Nations Population Commission while her stint as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee
of the World Fertility Surveys of the World
Health Organization and the United Nations
University was noteworthy. Concepcion also
had significant role in setting policies and
programs for population in and outside the
country.
Recognized as the “Demographers’ Demographer,” she was awarded by the United Nations Population Award in 2005. Her numerous studies and papers on the implication
of the growing population, demographic
trends, and the changing socio-behavioral
patterns served as bases in crafting national
policies on population.
She was likewise instrumental in the
establishment of University of the Philippines population Institute which pushed the
creation of the National Population Policy
and Family Planning Programs in the country.
In addition, she led the review of the
Philippine Statistical System that gave way
Dr. Domingo and Dr. Concepcion are
lifetime members of the National Academy
of Science and Technology (NAST) of DOST.
Pres. Arroyo led the conferment ceremony for Dr. Domingo and Dr. Concepcion in
Malacañang together with Executive Secretary
Eduardo Ermita, DOST Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro, and NAST President Emil Q. Javier.
ERNESTO DOMINGO, MD
Liver Specialist and Medical Educator is the Newest National Scientist
A
cademician Ernesto O. Domingo, MD,
by virtue of Malacañang Proclamation 1979 issued on January 14,
2010, was conferred the title and rank of
National Scientist, the highest award that
the Philippine government can confer on a
Filipino scientist for his or her excellent accomplishments in science and technology.
Among the outstanding scientific
contributions of Dr. Domingo are: elucidation of the nature of schistosome granuloma and its role in hepatosplenic disease; the
pathophysiology of hepatosplemic Schistosomiasis
japonica in humans; the
epidemiology and control
of Hepatitis B; and the
pathophysiology, clinical
behavior, and treatment of
hepatocellular carcinoma
in Filipinos. Results of his
hepatitis research have
been used in the formulation and implementation of policies and
programs of the Department of Health and
private sector on hepatitis B immunization
and routine hepatitis B and C screening of
blood for transfusion.
A graduate of Doctor of Medicine from
the University of the Philippines Manila in
1961 (eighth in a class of 100, third in the
physicians’ licensure examination with a record 98 percent in internal medicine), Dr.
Domingo specialized in internal medicine at
the Philippine General Hospital and in Gastroenterology Hepatology at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio,
USA.
Results of his
hepatitis research
have been used in
the formulation
of policies and
programs of
the DOH
Major studies
He joined the
faculty of the Department of Medicine in
the College of Medicine
in 1967. He organized
and led the Liver Study
Group (LSG) which has
conducted major studies on viral hepatitis
including hepatitis A,
B, C, D, E, and G. He and his LSG co-workers with the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) of the Department of
Health have developed technologies associated with viral hepatitis. These include the
rapid epidemiologic assessment for HbeAG
positive individuals, production of diagnostic reagents for the testing of Hepatitis B
virus carrier individuals and microparticle
agglutination test for Hepatitis C. Findings
from these studies were utilized by the Department of Health in developing the policy
on hepatitis B immunization.
to page 10
9
what’s
cool?
CONCEPCION . . . from page 8
Other involvements
Dr. Concepcion, together with the late
Acting UP President Enrique T. Virata and
Professor Philip M. Hauser of the University
of Chicago, worked for the establishment of
the UP Population Institute (UPPI) in 1964
with funding assistance from the Ford Foundation. This Institute served as the secretariat of the ad hoc Population Commission
that was instrumental in the enactment of
the Population Act of 1971 that provided
for a national population policy and a family planning program. Through the years,
the UPPI has earned a reputation as a prime
research and training center on populationrelated fields.
zation of Demographic Associates (ODA)
composed of leading population institutes
in Asia. The ODA planned and implemented
research studies on migration, urbanization, the elderly and population and development issues in the late 1970s and early
1980s. The research results were used by
the region’s policy makers and programme
managers as guides to effective population
and programme management. She was also
tapped by the World Health Organization in
the 80s to chair the Steering Committee on
the Social and Psychological Determinants
of Fertility Regulation, a committee that
reviewed research and action programme
proposals for funding.
In 1986, Dr. Concepcion chaired the
Committee to Review the Philippine Statistical System which led to the reorganization
of the country’s statistical offices and to
the establishment of the National Statistical
Coordination Board (NSCB). Twenty years
later, she was again appointed to the Committee to Review the Philippine Statistical
System.
Degrees and authorships
Dr. Concepcion obtained her B.Sc.
degree in chemistry from the UP in 1951. A recipient of a Colombo Plan fellowship
she pursued studies in Biostatistics at the
School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
of the University of Sydney in Australia in
1953-54. In 1958 she garnered a Population Council fellowship to take up studies in
Sociology/Demography at the University of
Chicago where she obtained a Ph.D. in 1963. She has authored innumerable publications
and served scores of consultancies with the
United Nations Population Fund, the UN
Development Fund, the UN Statistical Office, the World Health Organization, the UN
Training and Research Institute for the Advancement of Women and the Economic and
Research efforts
Her research efforts have gained recognition not only locally but also internationally. Under her leadership, the Population
Institute collaborated with its counterpart
institutions in Southeast Asia to undertake
joint research projects on population and
family planning. She headed the Organi-
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Honors and Awards
Dr. Concepcion has been honored by
several institutions and organizations. In
1970, the Ateneo de Manila University invested her with a Doctor of Humane Letters
(honoris causa) and two years later she received the Rafael Salas Population and Development Award. The UP named her one of
its University Professors in 1988. For her
invaluable contributions at regional, national and international levels in the field of
demography, the United Nations conferred
on her its 2005 UN Population Award while
the UP Alumni Association voted to give her
the Distinguished Alumna Award in 2006.
In 1992, Dr. Concepcion was elected
Academician by the National Academy of
Science and Technology. In May 2009, the
NAST membership endorsed Academician
Concepcion to President GM Arroyo for the
Order of National Scientist.
At present, National Scientist Concepcion continues to be busy with the Commission on Population where she serves as Board
member. She also chairs the NSCB Technical
Committee on Population and Housing Statistics. She serves as Vice-President of the
Executive Council of the National Academy of
Science and Technology, and Vice-President
of the Pangarap Foundation for Street Children.(By NAST Secretariat)
DOMINGO . . . from page 9
10
Dr. Domingo developed and helped
implement the clinical fellowship program
in the clinical departments of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). He established
the Clinical Epidemiology Unit (CEU), now
a Department, which served both government and private institutions. As Chancellor of UP Manila, he led the reorganization
of UP Manila in 1988 that resulted in the
establishment of the Institutes of SocioBiomedical Research, which later became
the National Institutes of Health. As Director of the UP Postgraduate School of Medicine he implemented a nationwide continuing medical education program for medical
practitioners.
earned him numerous awards and recognitions. The Philippine College of Physicians
awarded him the Distinguished Teacher
Award in 1983 and the Most Distinguished
Physicians Award (highest award) in 1994.
He also received the Dangal ng Bayan Award
from the Civil Service Commission, Saint
Brother Miguel Febres Cordero Award by the
De La Salle University, Outstanding Professional in Medicine by the University of the
Philippines Alumni Association, and Most
Distinguished Alumnus by the UP College of
Medicine, among others. In 2008, he was
designated Centennial Fellow of UP and in
2009, he became a Fellow of the American
Gastroenterological Association.
Awards and recognitions
His contributions to society have
Dr. Domingo was elected Academician
by the National Academy of Science and
Technology (NAST) in 1992. In May 2009,
NAST members approved the endorsement
on Academician Domingo to President GM
Arroyo to receive the Order of National Scientist.
His scientific and technological publications total 122 original research papers
published locally and abroad. National
Scientist Ernesto O. Domingo continues his
research and service to the nation by acting as adviser and consultant to major research projects. He is a founding member of
the Universal Clinical Health Care Advocacy
Group which is conducting studies on the
reforms needed to achieve universal health
care for Filipinos. (By NAST Secretariat)
what’s
cool
CERN to mentor RP physicists
By Joy M. Lazcano
Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro led the signing of the “Expression of Interest” between the Philippines and the
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), a
document formalizing joint DOST and CERN scientific
and mentoring activities in the field of physics in the
Country. Photo shows (middle) CERN Director Emmanuel Tsesmelis and CERN physicist Albert de Roeck (rightmost). [Joy M. Lazcano, S&T Media Service, STII]
Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro and CERN Director Emmanuel
Tsesmelis seal their pact after signing the “Expression of
Interest” [Joy M. Lazcano, S&T Media Service, STII]
The Philippines through the Department
of Science and Technology (DOST) and the
European Organization for Nuclear Research
(CERN) recently signed the Expression of
Interest, a document that qualifies both
parties to formally develop a framework on
reciprocal scientific, technical, and educational activities.
The Expression of Interest is the first
step towards furthering joint scientific researches, mentoring, and technical trainings to boost human capacity in the field
of physics in the country.
This opens up opportunities for Filipino Physicists to complete their postgraduate studies in European Universities participating in the CERN research program.
Moreover, vital Summer Programs and other
training programs on Physics and Science
Education for Filipino Science teachers may
be organized as well.
It will also facilitate linkages and possible project collaborations with other institutions and member nations.
However, CERN distanced itself on the
Nuclear Power issues in the country.
CERN is one of the world’s largest and
most respected scientific research centers.
It is where the World Wide Web (www) was
invented. It also works to develop beneficial applications from nuclear energy to humans.
According to DOST’s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) Director Alumanda De la Rosa, there are medical applications that have been recently developed
from nuclear energy. One is the Positron
Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography or PET-CT, a medical imaging device to
detect cancer tumours.
Furthermore, CERN Director Emmanuel
Tsesmelis was impressed at the two institutions at University of the Philippines National Institute of Physics and at PhilRice.
“People there (UP) are very much in tune at
what we do at CERN.”
He also expressed his optimism that
more Filipinos will work at CERN as researchers and scientists.
There are about 2,500 scientists in 40
member countries that work at CERN. However, in the country, only a few are actively
working as Nuclear Physicists. At PNRI, only
two Nuclear Physicists are left at its facility
in Quezon City.
11
features
2010: Internationa
By Madeleine Ricafrente
S&T Media Service, PCAMRD
The United Nations proclaimed 2010 as the
International Year of Biodiversity (IYB). The
celebration’s theme is “Biodiversity is life.
Biodiversity is our life.” With this, people
all over the world are working to safeguard
the vast irreplaceable natural wealth and
lessen biodiversity loss.
The IYB is an initiative of the United
Nations Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (SCBD) which aims to
raise public awareness on the importance
of biodiversity and the consequences of its
loss. It will also promote the engagement of
the public and other sectors for the implementation of the Convention on Biological
Diversity. It will also celebrate the successes
in realizing the target of achieving a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity
loss by 2010.
The IYB is an opportune time to increase the awareness and understanding of
the importance of biodiversity in sustaining
life on earth.
But first, we have to know what biodiversity is and its importance before we can
fully work towards its protection and conservation. Only a small portion of Southeast
Asia’s over 500 million people know what
biodiversity means.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity covers the full range of ecosystems, their component species, and the
genetic variety of those species produced by
nature or through human intervention. The
world grows, moves, changes and reproduces, from the smallest to the largest, because
of biodiversity.
12
Importance of Biodiversity
As food source. Biodiversity is the web of
life. It is where we get the food we eat. Nature provides the plant and animal resources
for our food. Biodiversity makes an essential
contribution to feeding the world by providing fish, pork, beef, grains, and fruits for
nutrition to people all over the world.
According to the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization, “of the 7,000
species of plants that have been domesticated over the 10,000-year history of agriculture, only 30 percent account for the cast
majority of the food we eat every day.
As medicinal source. A wide range
of medicinal resources and pharmaceutical
drugs come from biodiversity. Plants, particularly the herbs, have been known to
have preventive, curative, and therapeutic
properties. Using plants and animals as medicinal sources have been practiced by our
forefathers millions of years ago.
The IYB is
an opportune
time to increase
the awareness
and understanding
of the importance
of biodiversity
in sustaining
life on earth.
features
nal Year of Biodiversity
If we do not work to prevent the fast
and continued loss of our biodiversity, we
will be losing around 13 million hectares of
forest cover each year. If this happens, we
would have a hard time developing better
kinds of medicine to cure both existing and
emerging illnesses.
As source of livelihood. The economy
of millions of people depends on biodiversity
as a source of livelihood. Income-generating industries such as agriculture, fisheries,
and forestry rely on biodiversity.
There are also livelihood opportunities
from ecotourism. Nature is being “sold” to
tourists, encouraging an alternative means
to travel, learn and appreciate our environment. The involvement of local communities makes them active stakeholders which
prompt them to protect biodiversity while
benefiting from the income that eco-tourism provides for.
As protection. The ecological goods
that biodiversity provides are the clean air
we breathe, the potable water we drink, and
the land that we till from which our food
comes from. The thick forests protect us
from the harmful effects of the sun and from
floods.
water tributaries are fast drying up, thus
greatly reducing our sources of food.
We have to be grateful to biodiversity
for helping us recover from natural phenomena such as the La Niña and El Niño by providing elements required to cope with the
changes that these phenomena brought.
What we can do: An Imperative and
Collective Act
It is not yet too late. Let us do our part in
working towards the conservation and protection of our biodiversity. Each one of us
has an important role to play in saving our
biodiversity. In our own little ways, we can
reduce the use of non-biodegradable materials in our day-to-day living. We can conserve and use water wisely and sparingly.
Our present state
Our planet’s natural resources – the plants,
animals and other species – are being lost
at unprecedented rates due to deforestation, uncontrolled mining, rampant wildlife
hunting, endless land conversion, and other
destructive human activities.
The number of genetic resources has
dropped, and this is blamed to the world’s
overall rising temperature.
Significant
changes in planting season have been noticed. Floods have become worse, claiming
many lives, properties, and biodiversity. Our
We do not want to reach the state of
extinction -- the permanent effect of losing
biodiversity.
Other tips: recycle and segregate our
wastes, practice and promote organic farming, use compost as fertilizer and organic
substances as pesticides, adopt vermiculture
and promote intercropping, and help clean
our seas, rivers and waterways.
Let us save and protect biodiversity.
By this, we are also saving and protecting
mankind.
13
features
Of the total number of species, 3,500 are native to the
Philippines and cannot be found anywhere else.
Getting to know some endange
By Maria Judith L. Sablan
A country rich in biodiversity, the Philippines has more than 15,000 species of flora.
About 8,000 of these are vascular plants, or
those with conducting tissues that transport
water and minerals to the different parts of
the plant. Some 7,000 species are composed
of algae, mosses, fungi, ferns, and fern allies.
Of the total number of species, 3,500
are native to the Philippines and cannot
be found anywhere else. The International
Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) based in Switzerland
placed the country in the so-called red list
because of the increasing number of extinct
and threatened plants which now totals
227.
Currently, there are 37 species that are
critically endangered, 28 are endangered,
128 are vulnerable, three are conservationdependent, and 24 are near-threatened,
while about seven species have insufficient
data. Most of these plant species are found
in lowland moist tropical forest habitats
such as rainforest.
Endangered plant species
Some of the endangered plant species in
the Philippines include the tree fern (Cyathea spp.), almaciga (Agathisphilippinensis), belladonna (Paneolatus spp.), jade vine
(Strongylodon macrobotrys), Philippine date
palm (Phoenix hanceana Naud. var. philippinensis Becc.), kanyon or luplupak (Lilium
philippinense Baker), waling-waling (Vanda
sanderiana Reichb.f.), bungang-ipot (Areca
ipot Becc.), Philippine camia (Hedychium
philippinense K. Schum.), and Cebu cinnamon (Cinnamomum cebuense Koster).
Almaciga trees are found at high elevation in almost all the Philippine islands.
These trees can be used in building or housing construction. However, since the cutting of almaciga trees was prohibited in the
14
country, the tree was tapped for other nontimber uses. Experts from the Department
of Science and Technology’s Forest Products
Research and Development Institute (FPRDI)
trained forest dwellers in some provinces of
the country on proper collection, processing, and trade of Almaciga resin. They also
developed technology in processing and
refining Almaciga resin as raw material for
varnish, paint, and other related products.
Vanda or waling-waling, on the other
hand, originated from the warm islands
of the South Pacific. Places like Malaysia,
Thailand, Borneo, and the Philippines, particularly the foot of Mount Apo, are natural
homes to these rare epiphytic orchid species. It is hailed as the “Queen of Philippine
Orchids.” The orchid has long, trailing roots
that draw moisture and nutrients from the
air. Its long-lasting blooms make this orchid popular among breeders and cut flower
enthusiasts. Moreover, it easily crossbreeds
with several other orchid species. Some varieties, in fact, were used in successful hybridizations.
Called “tayabak” in the vernacular,
the jade vine is another endangered plant
species in the country. The luminescent
aquamarine blooms of this tropical vine are
unique in the plant kingdom. Its flowers are
the color of jade, and they hang in bunches
up to 90 cm long. Each clawlike flower is
about 7.5 cm long. Each flower, looking like
a stout butterfly with folded wings, attracts
bees, butterflies, birds, and bats.
The Philippine camia or white ginger
is also known as the Philippine garland. It is
an epiphytic herb with one to three stems.
The flowers are white with a shade of yellow, its edges crinkled. The fruit has three
sides which turns orange-yellow in color
and its seeds are dark red. Camia grows on
trunks and branches of trees. The rhizome,
or its creeping rootstalk, is used as medium
in growing orchids. Its conservation status
is very rare.
The Philippine date palm, locally
known as “voyavoy” is an erect palm growing alone, its trunk rising up to 10 meters
tall and its diameter up to 25 cm. The leaves
grow up to 1 m long with leaflets at the
lower portion. Its fruits are oblong which
turn black when mature. The voyayoy is
found mostly on grasslands and occasionally, along mountain streams at low medium
altitudes. The plant is usually used for ornamental purposes. The fruit is used for food
while the leaves are used to make raincoats,
bags, hats, baskets, and others. Up north
in Batanes, the leaves are used in making
“vakul”, an Ivatan headgear, and “kanayi”,
a vest.
“Pakong buwaya” or tree fern (Cyathea
spp.) thrives well in high altitude areas like
Baguio. It is occasionally planted in gardens
and grows up to seven meters. The trunk
is covered with black and still interlacing
roots. The young fronds are boiled and eaten as vegetable. The rhizome hairs are considered in Chinese medicine as drug for coagulating blood and for rheumatic problems.
It is also used as an old man’s tonic. The
rhizome itself is used topically for wounds
and ulcers, and in handicraft making and
construction material such as fencing post.
There are 26 endemic species of Cyathea in
the Philippines.
Areca ipot Becc. locally known as
“Bungang-ipot” is a small stocky tree that
reaches four meters in height. The plant belongs to the Palmae family. The dark green
leaves, about 1.5 m in length, are gracefully
curved outward and appear to be swollen
near the base. It bears clusters of flowers.
It is normally found in primary forests at
low and medium altitudes. Its deep orange
fruit has a flattened base and a rounded
top, while the seeds are oval-shaped. Some
features
ngered plants in the Philippines
people use the nuts for betel-chewing.
There are still many endangered species in the country, but too little is known
about them to be able to officially call them
endangered.
“It’s time for governments
to get serious about saving
species and make sure that
it’s high on their agendas,
as we are rapidly running
out of time.”
Jane Smart
Director, Biodiversity Conservation Group
- IUCN
Dark scenario
Deforestation is the major contributing
factor to the loss of natural habitat of the
country’s endangered species. Other reasons
why species become endangered include
overcollection or exploitation, introduction
of other species, disease, pollution, and limited distribution, among others.
The ballooning of the country’s population has jeopardized its forest cover. Between 1990 and 2005, the Philippines lost
a third of its forest cover, as the country
gave way to the demand for non-agricultural
land.
The current deforestation rate is
around two percent per year, which is a 20
percent drop from the rate of the 1990s. This
puts the country among the top 10 countries with the highest deforestation rates in
the world together, namely Honduras, Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Indonesia, Nepal, North
Korea, Ecuador, and Haiti.
Dr. Raul Kamantigue Suarez, a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution
and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara and recently a grantee
of DOST’s Balik Scientist Program described
the state of Philippine deforestation as “a
national Spolarium because when painted,
the picture will emerge dark, violent and disturbing such as Juan Luna’s masterpiece.”
Deforestation does not only cause the
loss of natural habitats that may eventually
lead to species extinction. Its other effects
include erosion, massive flooding, river siltation, and drought, all of which had terrible,
if not tragic, effect to the country especially
during the last decade. Devastating environmental catastrophes that frequently hit
the country such as landslides in Baguio,
provinces of Aurora and Quezon, Ormoc,
Guinsaungon, Leyte, and flooding in Metro
Manila were partly, if not entirely, due to
the decline in our forest cover.
Such kinds of tragedies increased environmental awareness in the country. A number of non-government organizations and
advocacy groups are clamoring to save the
environment and preserve our biodiversity
reserves and wildlife protected areas in their
pristine state. According to the Herbarium
Digital Library, plant conservation in the
Philippines actually started when Republic
Act 3983 was passed in December 3, 1932 to
protect wild flowers and other plants from
extinction. For the past years, more specific
laws were enacted to protect and conserve
our forest and wildlife, including the endangered species.
Time to take action
Globally, an international agreement called
Convention on Biological Diversity was negotiated under the umbrella of the United
Nations to conserve biodiversity. Critical
plant sites or centers of plant diversity were
identified as areas of great importance for
conservation. Locally, these areas include
Mount Apo in Mindanao, Mount Pulog in Luzon, Camiguin Island, Bohol Island, Batanes
Island, Sibuyan Island in Romblon Province,
and Palanan Wilderness area in Luzon.
The responsibility of taking action in
the game of conservation does not only rest
on the shoulders of scientists and environmentalists. Jane Smart, Director of IUCN’s
Biodiversity Conservation Group said, “It’s
time for governments to get serious about
saving species and make sure that it’s high
on their agendas, as we are rapidly running
out of time.” With the declaration of 2010
as International Year of Biodiversity (IYB),
each one should be reminded of his/her role
in conserving biodiversity as part of the community, country, and the planet.
15
features
Special Report
By Paul M. Icamina
Malaya
Ifugaos:
Guardians
of biodiversity
The designation of the Ifugao ice terraces
as a World Heritage site may compromise
its very nature, according to a new United
Nations report.
“The protection of the terraces for their
aesthetic and ethnological importance fails
to support their function as an ongoing
sustainable economy,” observes the State
of the World Indigenous Peoples report.
The report, made by the Secretariat
of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues of the UN Department of Economic and
Social Affairs, is the first ever UN publication on the state of the world’s indigenous
peoples.
In 1995, the Ifugao rice terraces in
the Central Cordillera, in Northern Luzon,
was declared “living cultural landscapes”
and included in the Unesco (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) list
of endangered World Heritage sites.
The next year, the rice terraces were
listed as one of the world’s best examples of
soil and water conservation technology by
the American Society of Civil Engineers.
“The attention attracted by the labeling of the terraces as ‘heritage’ can compromise the continued sustainability of
management by introducing requirements,
seen by many in the community as static
and confining,” the UN report observes. “At
the same time, the heightened attention
has stimulated tourism and associated risks
to traditional management.”
16
The growing market for wooden handicrafts and cash crops, for example, leads
to intensified forest harvesting. There has
also been an increase in the construction of
buildings to accommodate tourism.
The buildings, the report says, “exemplify the clash” between the land management values under traditional practices as
compared with the ‘heritage sites’ of the
Unesco list.
While past land management placed
importance and protection on the forests
above the terraces in their role as water
sources and soil stabilizers, the “heritage”
view delineates the terraces from the rest
of the landscape as the places of greatest
importance and protection.
As a result, more recent houses are
built for the most part in the muyong zone
of the mountain above the terraces.
“Indigenous peoples’ traditional livelihoods are threatened not only by extractive
industries or huge development projects,”
the report points out, “but also by efforts
that are aimed at preserving and celebrating
indigenous peoples’ cultures and the environment.”
“In some cases, indigenous peoples
have been forced off their lands for the establishment of natural parks, while even the
World Heritage designation can have unintended consequences.”
That bodes ill for the indigenous
peoples who are the caretakers of the rice
terraces.
features
The 2,000-year-old Banaue Rice Terraces are carved 5,000 feet high in 10,360
square kilometers of mountains in of Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province,
and Ifugao.
Most of the terraces are safeguarded
by the Ifugaos, or “People of the Earth”
whose culture revolves around rice.
They safeguard the biodiversity of rice
itself as well as the environmental milieu
that nurtures the crop. As tourism and the
outside world encroach on this world, the
rice terraces and the Ifugao culture are under threat.
State of the world’s indigenous peoples
Worldwide, according to the UN report, the
indigenous peoples who make up one-third
of the world’s poorest now suffer alarming conditions in all countries. Indigenous
peoples make up five percent or around 370
million of the world’s population.
“Every day, indigenous communities
all over the world face issues of violence
and brutality, continuing assimilation policies, dispossession of land, marginalization,
forced removal or relocation, denial of land
rights, impacts of large-scale development,
abuses by military forces and a host of other
abuses,” the UN report observes.
They suffer from disproportionally high
rates of poverty, health problems, crime, and
human rights abuses.
In the United States, according to the
report, a Native American is 600 times more
likely to contract tuberculosis and 62 per
cent more likely to commit suicide than the
general population. In Australia, an indigenous child can expect to die 20 years earlier
than his non-native compatriot.
Indigenous peoples’ life expectancy is
up to 20 years lower than their non-indigenous counterparts. The life expectancy gap
is 20 years in Nepal, while in Guatemala it is
Ifugaos
safeguard the
biodiversity
of rice itself as
well as the
environmental
milieu that
nurtures the crop.
As tourism and
the outside world
encroach on
this world, the
rice terraces
and the
Ifugao culture
are under threat.
13 years and in New Zealand it is 11.
Indigenous peoples experience disproportionately high levels of maternal and
infant mortality, malnutrition, cardiovascular illnesses, HIV/AIDS and other infectious
diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.
The suicide rates of indigenous peoples, particularly among youth, are considerably higher in many countries, for example,
up to 11 times the national average for the
Inuit in Canada.
Displacement and dispossession
One of the most significant threats is the
displacement of indigenous peoples from
their lands, territories and resources. The
report details several examples of displacement, separation and eviction, including
in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hawaii,
Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Democratic Re-
public of the Congo and Colombia.
“When indigenous peoples have reacted and tried to assert their rights, they
have suffered physical abuse, imprisonment,
torture and even death,” it says.
“We believe (the report) is going to
be crucial for governments and for the UN
to address more seriously and comprehensively the issues of indigenous people,” says
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Chairperson Vicki Tauli-Corpuz, a Filipino.
“It’s very daring and bold in a sense because
it does identify countries and the situation
of indigenous peoples in various countries
both in the developed world as well as in
the developing world.”
“When indigenous peoples have reacted and tried to assert their rights, they have
suffered physical abuse, imprisonment, torture and even death,” the report observes,
stressing that their rights to their own lands
and territories must be respected while they
need to develop their own definitions and
indicators of poverty and well-being.
“Indigenous peoples suffer from the
consequences of historic injustice, including colonization, dispossession of their
lands, territories and resources, oppression
and discrimination, as well as lack of control over their own ways of life. Their right
to development has been largely denied by
colonial and modern States in the pursuit of
economic growth,” it adds, warning that the
importance of land and territories to indigenous cultural identity cannot be stressed
enough.
Indigenous peoples, like those who
safeguard the Banaue rice terraces, are the
stewards of some of the most biologically
diverse areas, accumulating an immeasurable amount of traditional knowledge about
their ecosystems.
It is about time that their lives – and
livelihood – are protected as well.
17
features
Green becomes her
Why women should be at the forefront in biodiversity conservation
By Louie Alonso Belmonte
I
n a small and sleepy farming village in
Abra, 45-year old Aurora Bernal wakes
up at exactly four in the morning to
manage a small vegetable farm – the main
source of her family’s livelihood.
Her farm produce will be sold in a
nearby market while some of the vegetables
will be cooked for family’s lunch and dinner.
“This is our way of life here. Our produce is the main source of our income. It
sends my three children to school and
brings food to our table,” Aurora said.
Aurora is not alone. In the Philippines, almost half of the country’s population is comprised of women (49.72 percent)
and many of them are dependent on the
environment for sustenance.
The country’s rural
women, for instance,
directly depend on
the country’s rich
biodiversity for their
livelihood and survival.
Like Aurora, women living in rural areas and indigenous communities consider
biodiversity as the cornerstone of their
work, their belief systems and their basic
survival.
The United Nations (UN) earlier cited the
crucial role of biodiversity in the lives of economically-disadvantaged women. The country’s
rural women, for instance, directly depend on
the country’s rich biodiversity for their livelihood and survival. In fact, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) declared that more
than half of all the food that is grown on a
global scale is produced by women.
Gender issue plays a significant role in
18
the conservation of biodiversity partly due
to the different roles both women and men
play in the agricultural household. Women’s
lives vary greatly from men because of socialization patterns related to gender. When
it comes to environment, Filipino women
play distinct roles from managing plants
and animals in forests, drylands, wetlands
and agriculture; in collecting water, fuel
and food for domestic use and income generation; and in overseeing land and water
resources.
Through these activities, women contribute time, energy, skills and personal
visions to family and community development. Their extensive experience makes
them an invaluable source of knowledge and
expertise on environmental management.
The destruction of the Philippine environment has been an alarming trend for decades. Among the disturbing occurrences are
extensive deforestation, destructive fishing,
air and water pollution, clogging waterways
by solid waste and the floods and landslides
attendant to these.
These environmental damages affect women’s livelihood, food security, and
overall health and well-being which limit
their participation and empowerment. With
environmental degradation comes climate
change, the consequences of which are most
felt by the country, especially with the recent devastation of typhoons Ondoy and
Pepeng late last year that destroyed lives
and millions worth of crops and properties
throughout the nation.
Just like its rural counterparts, biodiversity degradation also affects women in
urban areas, especially those living in lowlying communities and those considered as
informal settlers.
Those with greatest vulnerabilities to
disasters are the economically-disadvantaged women and children who have no
means to protect themselves from natural
hazards nor have the resources to weather
and survive the aftermath of calamities.
UN gender experts said that sustainable development is not possible without
features
the empowerment of women and gender
equality. The active participation of women
and the integration of gender issues in environmental policies and actions are critical determinants for the implementations of
the Philippine government’s commitments
to the Beijing Platform for Action (1995)
and the UN Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs).
Despite the wide recognition of the
crucial roles of women in environment and
sustainable development, discriminatory
structures and attitudes still result in deeply
entrenched patterns of gender inequality in
various communities.
Rural women in particular have an
intense interaction with natural resources,
given their heavy involvement in collecting
and producing food, fuel, medicinal remedies and necessary raw materials for their
household and community.
Their knowledge was passed down
through many generations. These women
frequently gained an intense understanding
of their environment and of biodiversity in
particular, yet their contributions to conservation go unrecognized.
Taking concrete action
With the UN’s declaration of 2010 as the
International Year of Biodiversity, it raises
the needed awareness among the public and
generate pressure on world’s leaders to curb
the unprecedented loss in biodiversity due
to human activity.
•
Government agencies that are involved
in planning and policies, especially on
the issue of biodiversity, should ensure that women, especially rural and
indigenous women, should have a full
participation in discussion, consultations and decision-making processes
on policies, action plans and laws with
regards to climate change, sustainable
development and environment and
natural resource management.
•
Women in government should be vigilant to ensure that policies and measures on disaster risk management,
reduction and rehabilitation are gender
responsive.
•
Support calls for the promotion of
genuine sustainable development, sustainable natural resource management
and biodiversity-based ecological agriculture which empower rural and indigenous women.
As gender issue plays a significant role
in biodiversity conservation, and the livelihood and survival of women and their families are at stake, women should take collective action to protect Mother Earth.
Questions are now posed on how women can participate in biodiversity conservation. The following are few suggestions from
women’s advocates on how women in general can contribute to conserve the country’s
rich biodiversity:
•
•
Organized women’s groups, in partnership with various local government
organizations and national government agencies, can go to rural areas,
schools, barangays and municipalities
all over the country to educate women
and men on biodiversity, how it helps
their livelihood and survival, and teach
them ways to protect and conserve the
environment.
Reduce carbon footprints by using
energy efficient light bulbs in households. This simple step reduces the individual’s carbon footprint by approximately 450 pounds annually.
There is no such thing as big and small
when it comes to women’s contribution in
biodiversity conservation. Since biodiversity is the life and survival of most women
on this side of the world, Filipino women
should take concrete actions to preserve
Mother Earth one step at a time.
WE NEED A STRATEGY . . . from page 25
phenomenon. A warming world will make
the drought-prone areas even more vulnerable. In fact, scientists predict that the drylands will expand by 11 percent, and we will
experience increased frequency and severity
of droughts and heavy rainfall events across
the globe.
It is therefore important for the country to immediately map out and implement a
long-term strategy to cope with El Niño and
climate change. Foremost are sustained investments on water conservation and management and dryland agricultural research.
Beyond the provision of deep well pumps,
the construction of water harvesting structures must be pursued in a war footing.
The absence of a long term strategy and
institutional mechanism for drought mitigation and adaptation puts the whole country
in a reactive situation. This makes poor dry-
land communities quite vulnerable to the
vagaries of climate change. Among others, the engine that will
move this forward is a proactive organization that will generate and adapt appropriate innovations and policies for the country
to cope with climate change and El Niño.
Along with this, House Bill 6752 establishing a Philippine Dryland Research
Institute (PhilDRI) has been filed by Rep.
Leonardo Q. Montemayor in the 14th Congress. PhilDRI will be the country’s first
line of defense against drought and climate
change. Likewise, PhilDRI will substantially
contribute to poverty alleviation by generating and mobilizing science and technology to improve the livelihoods of poor communities in the drylands.
Together with drought, several crises
confront global agriculture today. Warming
temperatures, floods, increasing land degradation, rising food prices, zooming energy
demand and population explosion are creating extreme challenges to feed the world.
We can avert this potential “climaggedon”
through a strong political will and collective
action by the global community.
Therefore, our challenge today is to go
on a war footing to implement measures to
cope with the current drought. On top of
this, we need a long-term strategy to address the challenges of climate change and
El Niño rather than pursuing reactive measures to address such events. We therefore
need institutional mechanisms like PhilDRI
to develop and implement a strategy of adaptation and mitigation for our farmers to
surmount climate change and the continuing onslaught of El Niño.
19
features
Who is responsible in managing our bioresources?
By Aristotle P. Carandang
“Our biodiversity is our cultural
heritage, an heirloom that
identifies us Filipinos,”
Chief-CRPD, STII
P
Hotspots can be hotter
Loss of habitat is said to be the culprit to
the endangerment of plant and animal species, or worse, their extinction. But looking
closely, destruction of habitat is only an end
result. We have no one else to blame but
us humans. Some even say that we are the
most destructive of all the species that have
roamed the planet; for it is the thinking human that has the insatiable lust for progress
which, most of the time, spells destruction
to our ecology.
Dr. Perry S. Ong, Director of the Institute of Biology -University of the Philippines Diliman, said that the Philippines is
now listed as one of the 17 mega-diversity
areas in the world because of its unique and
highly diverse biological resources.
"Our biodiversity is our cultural heritage, an heirloom that identifies us Filipinos," he said. But it is paradoxical that
though the Philippines is known as a megadiverse area, it is also a “hotspot” at the
same time.
Dr. Ong pointed out that the degraded state and the degree of threat against
the country's biodiversity has also made
the Philippines as the "hottest of diversity hotspots." Experts define biodiversity
hotspot as “a biogeographic region with a
significant reservoir of biodiversity that is
threatened with destruction.”
Management of biodiversity and bioresources has strong biological basis according
to experts. Unfortunately, the problems that
are biological in nature cannot be solved by
biological solution alone. “The problem that
confront the survival of our bioresources re-
20
-Perry S. Ong
Director, Institute of Biology,
UP Diliman
Photo by Gerry de Jesus
hilippines fast becoming next land
of the dodo” was the catchy title of
Michael Bengwayan’s article (Asia Observer, August 2002). Just in case the line
did not catch the attention of the powers
that be, then the ‘dodo’, a large, flightless
bird that is now extinct, truly deserved its
sad fate. And that would truly be a frightening future for the country’s ecosystem.
Such certainty has been amplified, time and
again, by biodiversity experts, conservationists, and advocates.
quires human actions,” Dr. Ong explained.
and collaboration among institutions.
Collapse of societies
“The survival or collapse of societies depends
on how their inhabitants are able to manage
their bioresources,” said Dr. Agnes C. Rola,
dean of the University of the Philippines Los
Baños-College of Public Affairs, in her paper
“Bioresource Management and Our Common
Future.” Dr. Rola stressed that bioresource
management involves responsible use of our
living resources- plants, animals, and the
natural environment that support these, for
both traditional and new applications. “The
use of bioresources varies temporally and
spatially,” she added.
The national government and its agencies have the capacity to make bioresources
management decisions because of political
clout, and financial and technical capacities. Meanwhile, local government units are
mandated to protect the environment and
impose appropriate sanctions/penalties for
acts that endanger the environment. Even
the barangay captains are given the responsibility to “enforce the laws related to protection of the environment.” The Local Government Code invokes the participation of
the civil society, and the involvement of the
private sector in providing opportunities for
financing and developing local enterprises.
The Code likewise provides for the due recognition of ancestral domains and other
customary rights in protected areas.
Previously, bioresources were managed
in a sustainable manner because of the influence of religious practices and other cultural
norms. There was collective action among
the villagers who shared responsibilities in
safeguarding their land, water, and other
biological resources for sustainable use.
Undoubtedly, the primary drivers of the
state of the bioresources in the country are
the demand for food, clothing, and shelter.
But supply is not renewable. With continuous and unguarded exploitation, depletion
of resources and eventual extinction of the
different species of flora and fauna would be
the end result.
Whose call is bioresources management?
Dr. Rola stressed that decisions and actions
for resource management are not events that
occur by themselves. She explained that
they were a product of complex competition
One recommendation for the country
is to make bioresources management an integral part of the development plans. Rola
said that we need innovative ways to develop this natural capital, as well as “more
thinking on how we, as a society, can do
collective actions for the sustainable management of our bioresources.”
The enormity of the problem brought
about by the diversity of issues surrounding
bioresources has once again put the national
government in the center stage. To ‘pass
the buck’ would not be wise, and to delay
actions on the already degraded and continuously deteriorating state of the country’s
bioresources would be worse. This concern is
a ticking bomb ready to explode anytime.
features
Who’s your daddy?
Study traces genetic origin of Asian people
By Framelia V. Anonas
W
e may differ in color, language,
and ethnicity, but people in East
and Southeast Asia have a deep
connection: we share a common human origin. This is according to the study entitled
“Mapping Human Genetic Diversity in Asia”
by the Human Genome Organization (HUGO)
Pan-Asian SNP (for “single nucleotide polymorphism”) Consortium.
The study which analyzed the genetic
make-up of 73 populations across 10 Asian
countries traced the routes likely taken by
pre-historic Asians as they migrated from
coast to coast.
Over 90 scientists worked together
to trace the origin of people in said area,
including Dr. Maria Corazon De Ungria, Gayvelline Calacal, Frederick Delfin, Jazelyn
Salvador, Kristina Tabbada, Lilian Villamor,
and Henry Perdigon of the DNA Analysis
Laboratory of the Natural Sciences Research
Institute in the University of the Philippines
Diliman; and Dr. Eva Maria Cutiongco-de la
Paz and Dr, Carmencita Padilla of the Institute of Human Genetics - National Institutes
of Health (IHG-NIH) of the University of the
Philippines Manila.
The study supported a single wave of
migration into Asia, raising questions on
earlier theories of multiple inflows from
both northern and southern routes into Asia.
East Asians, according to the study, mainly
originated from Southeast Asia with some
minor traces from the Central-South Asian
groups. The study suggests that people from
China, Hong Kong, Japan, North and South
Korea, and Taiwan mainly came from Southeast Asia – perhaps Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, or the Philippines.
The study revealed that the most recent common ancestors of Asians arrived
first in India. Some of these ancestors later
migrated to Thailand, and then to the Southern area which are known today as Malaysia,
Indonesia, and the Philippines. An analysis
on the probable routes of Asian ancestors
showed that the first group of settlers appeared to have gone very far south before
successfully settling down. These settlers
were Malay Negritos, Philippine Negritos,
the East Indonesians, and early settlers
This figure shows plausible routes of pre-historical migration of Asian human populations. According to
the study, the most recent common ancestors of Asians arrived first in India (aqua-green). Later, some of
them migrated to Thailand, and South to the lands known today as Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The first group of settlers must have gone very far south before they settled successfully. These included the Malay Negritos (brown), Philippine Negritos (purple), the East Indonesians, and early settlers
of the Pacific Islands (dark green). Thereafter, one or several groups of people migrated North, mixed
with previous settlers there and, finally, formed various populations we now refer to as Austronesian
(light green), Austro-Asiatic (red), Tai-Kadai (dark blue), Hmong-Mien (light blue), and Altaic (yellow).
of the Pacific Islands. The greater genetic
diversity characteristic of populations in
southern part of Asia support this proposition. The study also found that genetic ancestry is highly correlated with geography
and linguistic affiliation— people who live
in the same location and speak the same
language generally have the same ancestral
origins.
“It is amazing how we can use science
to better understand our ancient past, and
realize how we are different and how we are
the same,” said Dr. De Ungria who worked
on analyzing Philippine samples, including
those collected from Philippine Negritos and
regional populations. “In fact, one could put
forward that our DNA definitely codes for a
common denominator in Asia amidst the apparent diversity of populations, culture, beliefs and languages.”
Dr. De Ungria focused on Philippine
population samples with over 5000 single
nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers using microarray technology at the Genome
Institute of Singapore (GIS).
“I hope that we can take this discovery
to the next level- by providing more support
for our own Philippine scientists to undertake this worthwhile endeavor of studying
our past in order to look towards the future.
This discovery will help us recognize our
common origin and underscore the need for
unity amidst apparent diversity in our Asian
homeland,” she added.
Professor Edison Liu, Executive Director at the GIS and the President of the HUGO
said, “This study was a milestone not only
in the science that emerged, but the consortium that was formed. Ten Asian countries
came together in the spirit of solidarity to
understand how we were related as a people,
and we finished with a truly Asian scientific
community.”
“We overcame shortage of funds and
diverse operational constraints through
partnerships, good will, and cultural sensitivity,” Liu, initiator and coordinator of
this research, revealed. “Our next goal is
to expand this collaboration to all of Asia
including Central Asia and the Polynesian
Islands, and to be more detailed in our
genomic analysis. We plan therefore to include structural variations and over a million
single nucleotide polymorphisms in the next
analysis.”
The study created an enormous genotype database which is publicly accessible
at http://www4a.biotec.or.th/PASNP. This
site also provides an important up-to-date
reference to scientists of diverse fields, such
as human genetics and disease, medicine,
anthropology, linguistics, and archaeology.
21
features
Coral Triangle Initiative
To safeguard marine and coastal
biological resources
By Ester C. Zaragoza
S&T Media Service, PCAMRD
S
ix countries have committed to
safeguard the marine and coastal biological resources in the area called
“The Coral Triangle, a geographic area encompassing about six million square kilometers of ocean and coastal waters in
Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.
Aptly named “The Coral Triangle Initiative” (CTI), the multilateral project was
officially launched in December 2007 during
the 13th Conference of the Parties to the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change in
Bali, Indonesia. The Coral Triangle includes
Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New
Guinea, Timor Leste, and Solomon Islands.
President Susilo Bambang Yudyohono
of Indonesia in early 2007 proposed the
CTI for reefs, fisheries and food security to
safeguard the marine and coastal biological
resources of the region. Series of meetings and activities resulted in the formal
declaration of the CTI on coral reefs, fisheries and food security in September 2007
with 21 heads of states across the Asia Pacific in attendance during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.
Currently, the CT6 countries are developing their Plan of Action on the following major goals: a) designating and
effectively managing “priority seascapes”,
b) applying an “ecosystem approach” to
the management of fisheries and other
marine resources, c) establishing networks
of MPAs, d) implementing measures to
strengthen resilience and adaptation to
climate change, and e) strengthening measures to protect threatened marine species.
In a related development, the First
Regional Exchange Program participated
in by the CT6 countries was held in Cebu,
Philippines last year to address strategies for “Enhancing Local Government
and Stakeholder Capacity for Ecosystembased Fisheries Management (EBFM).”
22
The Regional
Exchange
aimed
to provide CT6
countries
with
concepts, models,
lessons and approaches to EBFM,
share experiences,
participate in the
Second
Conference of Coastal Municipalities of the Philippines, share best practices, catalyze
change and reform across the CTI region,
and promote the conservation of critical
biodiversity resources. Participants to the
Regional Exchange had lecture, conference
with coastal municipalities, and field work
around Cebu and Bohol by visiting LGUs
with coastal management activities under
the FISH project. Visited were the towns of
Ubay, C.P. Garcia, Bien Unido, and Talibon.
The participants noted
that LGUs
in the Philippines provided a very effective level for implementing coastal and
fisheries resources management within their
authority, resources and familiarity with the
resource users to exert control and management. They were also impressed with the
well-informed and educated national and
local coastal resource management (CRM)
leaders, such as Mayor Rodrigo Alanano of
Dauin, Negros Oriental, Mayor Eulogio S.
Tupa of Palompon, Leyte and Mayor Jessu
Edora of Masinloc, Zambales, among others.
US Support to the CTI Program Integrator through Mr. Peter Colier, Chief of
Project and Dr. Stacey A. Tighe, Senior
Regional Coordinator rolled up the Regional
Exchange Program. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippine National CTI Coordinating Committee,
hosted the Regional Exchange with technical support from the USAID/BFAR FISH
Project in Cebu. This Exchange Program
was funded under the USAID Coral Triangle
Support
Program which is being implemented by the NGO consortium of World
Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy and
the Conservation International with a US$
41M support from the USAID for five years.
4teens
23
4teens
Biodiversity trends at Mt. Isarog
N
estled at the heart of Camarines
Sur is Mt. Isarog, rising grandiosely
on the horizon of the fabled Bicol
province. Its 1,966 meters above sea level
height teems with rich biodiversity and picturesque views. Verdant flowing forests and
refreshing cool waters beckon hikers like
some mystical fairy.
Mt. Isarog is actually a volcano. In
fact, it is classified as potentially active by
the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and
Seismology. But don’t let this set you back.
Mt. Isarog is the Philippine’s treasure chest
of rare species that can only be found in the
country. A visit to the famous Mt. Isarog
National Park would make you realize how
blessed we are to host these rare species.
Mt. Isarog is home to many endemic
species. It boasts of
143 species of birds,
plus many rare species of mammals.
Populating its thick
forest cover are the
Philippine
deer,
shrew mouse, shrew
rat, striped shrew
rat, and an array of
monkeys, bats, wildcats and wild pigs.
Other rare inhabitants in the area are
the isolated forest
frog and a blind
snake called Typhlops
jagorii.
In a study by
the Department of
Science and Technology’s Philippine
Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural
Resources Research and Development, it was
found that dominant species in the area
were 'baboy damo' (Sus scrofa), 'bayakan'
(Pteopus speciosus), 'unggoy' (Macaca fascicularis), and 'punay' (Galliclumba luzonica).
Some 1,300 species of plants also dot
Mt Isarog, giving the volcano its lively colors.
The largest flower genus in the world called
Rafflesia can also be found in the area. There
are also hardwood trees, mosses, ferns and
various varieties of colorful orchids.
Mt. Isarog is made more enchanting
by mushrooms and a number of colorful
insects like butterflies which are staples in
fairy tales. But butterflies not only make Mt.
Isarog beautiful, they also help in pollinating crops. They are also good indicators of
balance because they are sensitive to pesticides and toxins. In Mt. Isarog, there are
41 butterfly species under 29 genera and
7 families, according to another PCARRD
study. The butterfly families found were
Nymphalidae (13 spp.), Pieridae (9 spp.),
Papilionidae (8 spp), Danaidae (7 spp.),
Satyridae (3 spp.), and Lycaenidae and Hesperidae (1 spp.)
Mt. Isarog appears to be a paradise to
our endemic species. However, the PCARRD
studies are not all good news. Noted in the
study is the decline in the population of
'sawa' (Phyton reticulares), 'sabit' (Spizaetus phillipensis), 'usa' (Cervus marianus) and
'salibad' (Microhierax erythrogynys). Further,
more butterflies fluttered around cultivated
areas than in forest areas, indicating some
disturbance in the latter.
PCARRD’s findings showed that there
is a continuing degradation of the biodiversity population of the animal species in Mt.
Isarog. PCARRD also noted the significant
differences of biodiversity population among
the barangays in Mt. Isarog. This implies that
the barangays’ conservation efforts were not
consistent, as some communities appear to
be more active than the others in the implementation of reforestation and wildlife protection program.
To avert the further degradation of
biodiversity in Mt. Isarog, PCARRD recommended the strengthening of reforestation
programs to bring back the trees that serve
as homes to most of the animals and insects
living in the area. The Council also reiterated
calls for wildlife conservation and management in Mt. Isarog. Likewise, it pushed for
the implementation of an active monitoring
system, plus improved data gathering tool
and procedures, to keep an eye on the biodiversity in Mt. Isarog.
Other activities looked into that could
help improve the biodiversity in Mt. Isarog
include the following: partnership and collaboration among various agencies and institutions; capability building to strengthen
community-based organizations; aggressive
information and education campaign; strict
enforcement of policies and laws particularly
along visitor management; and selection of
key leaders in the communities and partner
agencies.
Mt. Isarog has so much to offer to
those interested in knowing more about endemic plants and animals in the country. The
rich biodiversity in this one single place is a
testament on how God has blessed this country with so much life.
When traveling down south of Luzon,
don’t forget to check out Mt. Isarog National
Park’s rare plants and animals that continue
to call this volcano “home.”
Mt. Isarog is the Philippine’s treasure
chest of rare species that can only be
found in the country.
24
commentary
We need a strategy for El Niño
By William D. Dar
Director General, ICRISAT
With the onset of summer, the country is
now experiencing the adverse effects of El
Niño, especially in the agriculture sector.
PAGASA estimates 40 to 60 percent reduction in rainfall as an effect of the phenomenon and that the prolonged drought may
last until June. Hardest hit are Cagayan and
Isabela, our major sources of rice.
Second is a contingent action plan to
be mapped out with farmers by the DA and
local government units (LGUs) to replace
affected crops with those which are more
drought tolerant. Farmers should grow other
crops that mature earlier to escape drought.
Short duration crops thrive and yield well
even with scarce water as they mature before soil moisture gets depleted.
The Department of Agriculture (DA)
estimates that the severe dry spell could reduce paddy rice production by 816,372 tons
worth P12.24 billion. Even a milder effect
could reduce crop losses to 264,940 tons.
With this, rice imports this year may
hit a record 2.4 million tons as the country
makes up for the crop damage inflicted by
typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng and Santi. The production of other crops like corn, sugar cane,
vegetables, and other agricultural products
will also be severely affected.
Understanding El Niño
The El Niño phenomenon is an abnormal
weather pattern caused by the warming of
the Pacific Ocean. South American fisherman
named this phenomenon El Niño as it occurs during the time of the birth of the child
Christ. It forms part of what is called the
“Southern Oscillation,” a see-saw pattern of
reversing surface air pressure between the
eastern and western tropical Pacific.
Occurring every two to seven years,
it triggers climatic aberrations around the
world like warming in South America, torrential rains in North America and drought
in Southeast and South Asia and Australia.
In the Philippines, El Niño causes
drought and ensuing events like food, water,
and energy shortages; land degradation; salt
water intrusion; disruption of normal human
activities; human and health problems; and
significant reduction of agro-industrial productivity.
The current El Niño phenomenon is the
eighth event to occur in the country since
1965. PAGASA says that it is a “moderate
to strong” El Niño and not as worse as the
one in 1997 to 1998, the strongest in recent
Likewise, an action plan for producing
seeds of dryland and other alternate crops
should be put in place by the DA. We need
a long-term
strategy to
address
the challenges
of climate change
and El Niño rather
than pursuing
reactive measures
to address
such events.
history, affecting the whole country and inflicting damage worth P8.5 billion.
Coping with drought
Even as drought is here, there are several
measures which our farmers and the government could do to adapt to its effects and
sustain farm productivity. The India-based
International Crops Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and its partners recommend a four-pronged, sciencebased approach.
First is growing drought-tolerant crops
to match the available length of the growing season and low soil moisture. ICRISAT
and its partners in the Philippines have
introduced several improved varieties of
sorghum, pigeonpea, chickpea and peanut,
all of which are more drought tolerant than
currently grown crops.
Third is the efficient management of
natural resources, harvesting water in the
rainy season, arresting land degradation and
conserving soil moisture. Towards this, ICRISAT recommends growing improved crops on
soils conserved through natural ways and
pursued through community participation.
This is the essence of what scientists call
as integrated genetic and natural resource
management (IGNRM).
Fourth is empowering stakeholders
through capacity building and enabling the
national government and LGUs to formulate
policies supportive of dryland agriculture.
Likewise, suitable institutional mechanisms
for credit, market linkages, rural infrastructure and other support services need to be
ensured. The effectiveness of drought mitigation strategies depends on institutional
arrangements available to provide regulation as well as technical and financial assistance.
ICRISAT also recommends growing an
array of crops together with livestock along
with other income-generating activities that
can lessen the risks of total crop failure and
enhance farm income.
Long term strategy
Climate change is real and El Niño will further aggravate its effects, most especially to
the poorest of the poor in the dryland and
rainfed areas. Just like El Niño, the impact
of climate change on global temperatures
and rainfall pattern will be a continuing
to page 19
25
set-up
Folks from Abra need not look far to search for materials for their business. Most of them can simply check out
what’s in their backyard.
“We have plenty of bamboos in our backyard,” says Carlo Balneg, an entrepreneur from Bumagcat, Tayum,
Abra. Balneg shares that he has been trained from childhood to work on various crafts out of bamboo. “My
father used to own this shop,” he adds, referring to the shop that now bears his name, with a sizeable 20 x 30
production area for placemats and 10x10 for other products.
The shop started as a decrepit tent with crude and definitely outdated tools. Balneg was able to improve
production by undergoing trainings and doing some research on design trends. Radical changes came when his
application to the Department of Science and Technology’s Small and Medium Enterprises Technology Upgrading
Program (DOST-SETUP) was approved, following his father’s hand-over of the shop to him. Through a loan worth
P375,000 granted last year, Balneg was able to buy various machines and tools to make his business flourish
like the bamboos in his backyard.
From manual procedures, his jump into technology has made bamboocrafting much easier. Technology enabled him to make the bamboos in equal length, width, and thickness – with a smooth finished surface – easier,
faster and better.
“It’s good that I previously trained in assembling and operating machines, even in mixing paint,” he
tells. “Through SETUP’s support, I was able to put all my trainings in practice.” Some of the new equipment he
acquired through SETUP include three-in-one machine (circular saw, jointer and thicknesser), tables saw, bench
drill, miter saw, and many others. Some were fabricated to suit his requirements.
During this visit, Balneg’s 140 staff were all busy working to meet their target of 36,000 pieces of placemats ordered by a foreign-based client. His other bamboo products – such as folding table, bamboo trays, and
others – also have good market share.
26
set-up
At 30, Balneg bagged the 2009 Sipag
at Tyaga Award (provincial level) and was
finalist in the One Town, One Product
national level. He was also honored as one
of the two Most Inspiring CAR Micro Entrepreneurs at the Teen Negosyo Edition III in
Baguio City in 2008.
Balneg is thankful that bamboos are
abundant in Abra, which is good for his
business. He is aware that depleting bamboos will not only be bad for his business
but also for the environment. Thus, as his
way of ensuring the continuous supply of
raw materials, he encourages his suppliers
of raw materials to plant or replenish their
bamboo plantations.
Vegetables in noodles
When he saw on TV about a new product
called squash canton, Arturo Talledo of
Mudiit, Dolores, Abra could not contain his
excitement. “There are plenty of squash in
Abra, so I know I would not run out of ingredients,” he gushes.
He trained under DOST’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute to learn the basics
of vegetable noodle production. Finally, he
added squash and malunggay noodles to his
main product, flour-based miki. “It was difficult at the start because my workers used
manual procedures,” he admits. But since
squash and malunggay were aplenty in Abra,
he went on with production.
Informed by FNRI of the SETUP program, he immediately applied, knowing that
technology will help improve his production.
Soon he was awarded with a P200,000
loan from SETUP which he used to buy
equipment such as noodle machine, dough
mixer, and dryer. The dough mixer enabled
Talledo’s workers to efficiently and quickly
knead large quantities of dough while the
noodle machine cut the kneaded flour into
noodle strands of equal size faster than any
human can. The dryer enabled Talledo to
dry up the noodles, rain or shine, and have
them ready for packing in a few hours.
“Thanks to technology, both my production and income doubled,” he shares. On
regular days, Talledo’s Miki Commercial produces 175 kilos of noodles. He now has six
full-time workers plus some on-call helpers.
Moreover, his previously backyard only business now has a building of its own.
FNRI also helped Talledo in designing his packaging, using materials that give
enough protection to his noodles and visual
design that attract buyers. He also gets regular technical advice from DOST.
“I am going into camote noodle production soon,” he revealed as he glimpsed
at an area in his backyard which, expectedly, was teeming with lush, leafy camote.
Sugarcane’s sweet-sour prospects
Lorma Azurin of Agtangao, Abra first
thought that vinegar would bring her family
the extra income it needs out of the sugarcane she planted as an alternate crop in her
backyard. But DOST-Abra’s Menandro Buenafe
and Alice Balacua had other ideas: Why not
expand her product into basi, a local wine
made of sugarcane, and muscovado?
Azurin realized that indeed there was
more to sugarcane than vinegar. Through
DOST’s Grant-In-Aid, she was able to attend trainings to help her in producing
high-quality basi and muscovado. DOST also
helped her firm A&C Enterprises in the initial printing of packaging for the sugarcane
products, as well as in installing a rice hull
furnace for muscovado production.
Soon the sweet basi and muscovado,
as well as the sour vinegar, gained followings and market. A&C Enterprises sugarcane
products soon became a familiar sight in
Bangued market.
“One thing about our products,” Azurin pitched, “is that they are 100 percent organic. No chemical fertilizer was applied.”
Projects in the pipeline
For 2010, DOST-Abra has lined up 10 projects for SETUP funding and nine for GIA
funding, according to Buenafe, Provincial
Science and Technology Director for Abra.
And yes, most of the firms used materials
and crops that are endemic in Abra.
27
nutrition
FNRI survey says
more Filipinos
at risk to
lifestyle-related
diseases
high FBS or hyperglycemia peaks at
age 50-59 years.
By Charina A. Javier
S&T Media Service, FNRI
R
ecent results of the National Nutrition and Health Survey (NNHeS II)
by the Food and Nutrition Research
Institute of the Department of Science and
Technology (FNRI-DOST) showed that more
Filipinos have hypertension, high fasting blood sugar, and high cholesterol and
triglyceride levels, which are risk factors to
cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other
lifestyle-related diseases.
The NNHeS II showed that one in every four Filipino adults (25.3 percent) has
hypertension or a blood pressure (BP) reading equal to or higher than 140/90 millimeter mercury (mmHg). The prevalence of hypertension significantly increased from 22.5
percent in 2003 to 25.3 percent in 2008
based on single BP determination.
The survey further showed that 11 in
every 100 (10.8 percent) have pre-hypertension or a BP reading at the range of 130139/85-89 mmHg. High BP increases with
age starting from age 40-49 years.
The prevalence of high fasting blood
sugar (FBS), an indicator of diabetes mellitus, is 5 in every 100 Filipino, based on the
NNHeS II. The prevalence increased, though
not significant, from 2003 with 3.4 percent
to 4.8 percent in 2008. The prevalence of
28
Moreover,
the survey showed
that 3 in every
100 Filipinos have
impaired fasting
glucose (IFG). IFG
may progress to diabetes mellitus in a few
years if not prevented.
Hyperglycemia is an FBS level greater
than 125 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL),
while IFG is an FBS level in the range of
110-125 mg/dL. Dyslipidemia or abnormal
lipid levels significantly increased from
2003 to 2008.
The NNHeS II showed that one in every ten (10.2 percent) Filipino adults has
high total cholesterol level, while 21 in every 100 (21.2 percent) are borderline high.
Furthermore, 15 in every 100 (14.6 percent)
have high triglyceride level, while 16 in every 100 (15.5 percent) are borderline high.
The prevalence of low high-density
lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) level increased from 54.2 percent in 2003 to 64.1
percent in 2008. In contrast, the prevalence
of high low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol
(LDL-c) level did not change much, from
11.7 percent in 2003 to 11.8 percent in
2008.
A person is considered to have a low
HDL-c level if the fasting blood measurement
is less than 40 mg/dl while a high LDL-c
level of the fasting blood measurement is
greater than or equal to 160 mg/dl.
Hypertension, high FBS, and dyslipidemia are major risk factors to lifestyle-
related diseases, particularly cardiovascular
diseases, diabetes mellitus, and cancer.
These lifestyle-related diseases are among
the diseases that currently dominate the list
of leading causes of death in the country.
These are also leading causes of morbidity,
particularly diseases of the heart and the
vascular system.
The government is intensively campaigning for healthy lifestyle to prevent
these risk factors and diseases. The healthy
lifestyle campaign promotes transformation
of various settings into healthy settings,
such as healthy workplace, healthy-eating
place, healthy communities and healthy
schools, among others.
Message 10 of the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF) developed by the
Technical Working Group led by the FNRIDOST recommends that, for a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition, Filipinos should
exercise regularly, do not smoke ,and avoid
drinking alcoholic beverages.
The NGF also suggests eating a variety
of foods everyday, consuming more fruits,
vegetables, rootcrops and legumes, as these
are rich sources of fiber that help lower cholesterol level and prolong the response time
of our body to blood glucose levels, and
limiting the intake of salty foods to help
prevent hypertension.
(For more information on food and
nutrition, contact: Dr. Mario V. Capanzana,
Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology, Bicutan, Taguig City; Trunkline: 8372071 local 2296 or 2287; Telephone/Fax
No.: 837-3164; e-mail:[email protected].
ph or [email protected]: FNRI website:
http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph
dost's Industrial Technology
Development
Institute (ITDI) and the
Association of South East
Asian Nation Foundation
sealed their agreement
to support the ASEAN
participation in the 4th
International Environmental
Technology
Verification (ETV) Forum
and International Working Group (IWG) on ETV
through a Memorandum
of Agreement signed on
February 1, 2010 at the Metrology Building, DOST Compound, Bicutan, Taguig City. ETV
is a process of scientifically validating the environmental soundness of new developed
technologies. The Philippines is the first Asian country to host the ETV Forum which is
an international activity. Photo shows (L-R) Dr. Filemon A. Uriarte, Jr., ASEAN Foundation
Executive Director; Dr. Estrella F. Alabastro, DOST Secretary; and Dr. Nuna E. Almanzor,
ITDI Director. [Joy M. Lazcano, S&T Media Service, STII]
STII is Anti-Graft Compliant. DOST's Science
and Technology Information Institute (STII)
notched 8th place in
the top ten government
agencies compliant to
the anti-graft measures
set by the Presidential
Anti-Graft Commission
(PAGC) through its Integrity
Development
Action Plan. Some 177
government agencies in the country were evaluated by PAGC. Receiving the award for STIIDOST is Aristotle P. Carandang, Chief Science Research Specialist, STII-DOST, during the
awarding ceremonies held February 9 at the Land Bank of the Philippines in Malate. Others
in the photo are (L-R) Alberto A. Bernardo, Commissioner, PAGC; Teresita D. Baltazar, Commissioner, PAGC, Constancia P. De Guzman, Secretary, PAGC. [Joy M. Lazcano, S&T Media
Service, STII]
Little hands, big wonders. Students of the
DOST Day Care Center as young as four show
off what their little hands can do to prove that science can be as fun as it is educational
in a two-day event of science wonders dubbed as “Science Fair 2010” at the DOST Main
Building, Bicutan, Taguig. The event, initiated by the DOST-Science Education Institute,
featured exhibits on a variety of interesting topics, video presentation, and hands-on little
experiments that the students conceptualized and designed themselves. The DOST Day
Care Center (prep and kindergarten levels) caters to children of DOST employees. Because
of the school’s increasing popularity, according to Ms Edna Ebon (bottom-left), administrator
of the Center, there is a move to open the Center as well to the grandchildren of DOST staff
(Photos and text by Mary Charlotte Fresco- DOST-OASEC).
news
in photo
Contributors
Dr. William Dar is a
1988 Ten Outstanding
Young Men (TOYM)
Awardee for Agricultural
Research. He is the
first Filipino and Asian
Director General of
International Crops
Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics
(ICRISAT) based in
Hyderabad, Andhra
Pradesh, India.
Paul M. Icamina is
a science journalist
currently with the
Malaya, a national
newspaper founded in
1981 with the mission
of giving the public
the truth fairly and
responsibly.
Ester C. Zaragoza, is
the Officer-In-Charge
of the Marine
Resources Division,
Philippine Council
for Aquatic and
Marine Research and
Development.
Charina A. Javier,
Science Research
Specialist I of the Food
and Nutrition Research
Institute, is involved
in nutrition promotion
activities of the Food
and Nutrition Research
Institute.

1st Quarter 2010 - Science and Technology Information Institute

Transcription

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